Something in the Water

Car adverts have gone mental. Fact. There's the one for Skoda where they build a car out of cakes (with that grating song by Julie Andrews - not one of my favourite things), the one where a 'giant' skates a car around a city like a skateboard before parking it with a 180 spin twist thing and then there is the one where cars float around by being attached to helium balloons. But the one where a man is besotted with his 'baby' which is actually his car takes the biscuit - presumably from the Skoda.

Contradictions

The recent furore surrounding Salman Rushdie's knighthood has thrown up some bizarre contradictions that those "outraged" don't seem to realise. The First Deputy Speaker Mohammad Reza Bahonar in Iraq was quoted as saying, "The British monarch lives under this illusion that Britain is still a 19th Century superpower and that bestowing titles is something still deemed important." - So if it isn't important any more why are they all getting so annoyed?

And then the Pakistani religious affairs minister said, "If someone commits suicide bombing to protect the honour of the Prophet Mohammad, his act is justified." - So which is more evil and more worthy of condemnation? Writing numerous books which bring pleasure to millions or condoning suicide bombers purely on the basis someone disagrees with your 'belief'?

But since when do people like this ever stop and think for themselves before they open their mouths to spout violent rhetoric against things they don't really understand?

Title

I was a bit hungover on Saturday having attended the Cardiff Ball so watched the film Mean Girls which was on S4C. It wasn't bad. But my main point was that at a couple of points during the film some Asian students' dialogue was subtitled and on one occasion it said "Your the slut!" - not "You're..."

Now this does make me sound like a pedant, but surely someone at some point in the long movie making process would have noticed this? You would have liked to have thought so.

So...what now?

So that's it for my student years. After the hardest, but unquestionably most enjoyable, year of education on a journalism course I am now out there as a qualified journalist. I've learnt shorthand, interviewed jazz musicians, gone bell ringing, cycled the Taff trail, and many many other things.

This blog was started back in October when the end was a mere dot upon a huge horizon, and now the horizon is behind me, and there are now the giant letters J-O-B buzzing away like a neon sign.

Here's passing that landmark sooner rather than later, and to the continual writing of this blog - however many (or few) people come across it...

Arrrrrrrrrr

Pirate birthday sunk by council
What a bizarre world we do live in...

This is the 21st Century

How cool is this? Like the re-assuring face design too.

Work Blog

This is a blog post of all my online work

Reviews

Operator Please - Yes Yes Vindictive Review
Amy MacDonald - This is the Life Review
Soft Hearted Scientists - Take Time to Wonder... Review
Architecture in Helsinki - Places Like This
Chairman of the Board Surf Soundtracks, 64-74 Review
Dub Pistols - Speakers and Tweeters Review
Los Campesinos! Gig Review
Willy Mason Gig Review
Gruff Rhys - Candylion Review
New Young Pony Club Gig Review
New Young Pony Club Interview

Features

Cycling the Taff Trail
Cardiff City Guide
Cornwall Guide
Snowboard Europe Guide
Surf UK Guide
Skate Europe

News

BBC History News Story - Archaeology Qualification
BBC History News Story - Science Website

100

I wrote a post when I had posted 50 posts (mmm post...) and now it's up to 100...So with 100 blog posts to my name on the internet let's see how many other things of 'me' are out there...

408 tagged photos on Facebook
59 photos on my Flickr
19 Youtube videos
12 pieces of online work

Here's to 150...

The Week

I bought The Week for the first time the other day and thought it was pretty good. It's nice having all the best news, reviews and opinions from the British papers brought together but I preferred it even more for reading comment from overseas which is something I read far less - even though the internet makes it far easier to do so.

I can see why, in our mad-paced world, a magazine which puts all the best bits into one nicely designed and easy to read format is doing well on the stands.

Shut It Man

This video of William Shatner "singing" Rocketman is utter genius. You need to watch it all to really appreciate the work that must have gone into this.

When he sings about "all the science I don't understand" the look of confusion is unbeatable. And when he answers his own singing...oh I do love YouTube for throwing up these gems.